No dogs are ultimately created equal. Dogs have different temperaments, different motivations, and different behavior characteristics that set them apart from one another. In the world of dog training, often when tackling the temperament of working dogs, the term ''drive'' may be used extensively. Unfortunately, the term appears to have different meanings for different people, and is therefore, often used erroneously to simply depict a dog with a great amount of energy. So what is drive, and how does it affect the behavior of dogs?
Defining the Concept of ''Drive'' in Dogs Joy Tiz, Director of the Silver Wolf Academy of K-9 Education in Southern California and President of Police Dog Rescue, defines drive in dogs as ''an internal mechanism that pushes a dog into action'' in her article ''Elements of temperament''. Kay Hargreaves , one of Australia's foremost dog behavourial trainers and owner of Wagging School defines drive as ''a collection of inherited, instinctive behaviors''. Both definitions are very accurate when it comes to depicting the nature of dogs and what motivates them. However, it is important to note that the term ''drive'' may be deceiving in many ways, and there is a good reason why the term has drastically fallen out the vocabulary of many psychologists and dog behaviorists.
One of the main issues, according to Daniel Estep Ph.D and Suzanne Hetts Ph.D, in the article ' 'The Trouble with Drives'' published by The Rocky Mountain News, is that the use of the term drive'' tends to oversimplify our understanding of dog behavior''. The term is therefore used loosely at times, often even to depict complex behaviors.
Puppy tests have been developed in the past for the purpose of evaluating the presence of certain drives in dogs and to predict future performances, but studies appear to suggest that the results of such tests do not predict future behaviors. Drive theory, therefore, may appear at a first glance to be helpful, but at a closer evaluation, may blur our understanding as to why dogs behave in certain ways. The term drive should be used with much caution. It should not be a vague term that assumes different meanings for different people.
For instance, for some people a dog with high prey drive likes to chase a ball. But will it also chase a small dog and kill it? Will it chase small kids? At times, the best course of action is to refrain from using the term ''drive'' extensively, especially when a behavior cannot be defined in a precise, universal way.
Evaluating Types of Drive in Dogs
For the sake of clarity, it is helpful to understand types of drives theorized in dogs. However, there appear to be different types of drives according to different behavior experts. Wendy Volhard, who has 35 years experience in working with dogs, claims that there are four drives in dogs: prey drive, pack drive, flight drive and fight drive. Joy Tiz, on the other hand, identifies rank drive, defense drive, prey drive and pack drive. Following are brief, general explanations of each.
- Prey Drive
Prey drive generally defines behaviors associated with hunting, killing and feeding. Sniffing, stalking, barking in a high-pitched voice, pouncing, shaking, digging, chasing, killing, burying and eating are behaviors linked with prey drive. When not actively engaging with prey, the dog may be seen chasing a ball, following a leaf, or shaking a toy moving its head side to side to ''kill it''. Such prey drive can often be channeled into dog sports such as Shutzhund or Search and Rescue.
- Pack Drive
Pack drive, as the name suggests, is the drive motivating dogs to stay within a pack. It is linked to social behaviors such as seeking physical contact, licking, playing, using body language, grooming, and breeding. A dog who is aloof and independent, is known to have low pack drive, whereas, a dog who seeks interactions with other dogs and owners, is known to have high pack drive. A dog with good pack drive tends to bond with its owner and with this comes a strong willingness to please.
- Rank Drive
This drive, according to Joy Tiz, envelops behaviors linked with a dog's desire to assume rank position. Dogs with high rank drive will therefore do what it takes to assume the top rank position in a dog pack. At times, some dogs also attempt to challenge humans in their quest to assume the leadership role, especially when the humans are not proficient in controlling resources and implementing rules. Behaviors associated with rank drive include posturing, making direct eye contact, putting head or paw on shoulders, humping and controlling resources.
- Defense Drive (Flight and Fight)
This is a dog's drive to defend itself from harm. Part of defense drive are flight and fight drives. Flight or fight is a dog's response to danger and depending on temperament, some dogs will actively fight, while others will rather run away. Behaviors included in flight drive are cowering, urinating submissively, and running away. Behaviors included in fight drive are barking, growling, lunging, raising hackles, snarling, and biting.
As seen, understanding the theory of drives in dogs may help better understand certain behaviors but it comes with its limitations. The complexity of dog behavior may go far and beyond high or low drives, and therefore, drives cannot be used to generalize behaviors, nor can they be used to predict future behaviors. As Daniel Estep P.h.D and Suzanne Hetts P.h.D put it, '' There is no scientific evidence that dogs have traits like prey drives, pack drives, or defensive drives. The studies of dog temperament that have been done have not identified such simple and allinclusive traits. The definitions of such traits have been vague and imprecise, something that is not tolerated in science.''
References:
Wendy Volhard, A Personality Profile For Your Dog
Adrienne Farricelli - Adrienne Farricelli brings expertise in canine topics as a former American Animal Hospital Association employee and certified dog ...
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